SM : You travel and speak quite a bit . What are the most common questions you receive ? What do you think people are yearning for when it comes to creativity right now ?
AK : A lot of people want to know how to make a living doing something they love . That ' s a tough question , and one that hasn ' t been asked by humans for most of history . It ' s a particularly modern and privileged problem , worrying about doing something you love . The hard answer is : not everyone will be able to make a living doing what they love . ( I really love to read , but nobody pays me to do just that .) I usually encourage people to “ keep your day job ,” or find a job that really needs doing that you ' re suited for , and then find a way to spend more time on their passions outside of work . To make a life , not just a living .
SM : Much has been said about the importance in the 21st century around innovation and building creative thinkers . Do you buy into that ? How do we go about cultivating that kind of thinking when it comes to schools ?
From what I ' ve observed , the modern student is over-scheduled . Too much jammed into one day : too many appointments , too many scheduled activities , too much homework . I spent an enormous amount of time doing what looked like nothing when I was younger — reading , doodling , noodling around on my guitar . ( A historical example : people thought Abe Lincoln was lazy because he liked to read so much .) Einstein said that creativity is the residue of time wasted . Students need more time and space to be self-motivated and self-directed in their learning .
** As told to editor Susan Riley on December 8 , 2015
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January 2016 Edition